Automobile signal-light.



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Si@ Z ngz Paten'd July 13, i915.

uuml"l y mm" f JOSEPH E. MILLER AND AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL-LIGHT.

i "traffic signal, and the principal object of our invention is to provide a signal which will indicate by day, as well as by night, to oncoming vehicles, the fact that the signal carrying vehicle is about to stop, reduce speed or turn into another lane of travel.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel signal that is automatically actuated'when a brake lever, clutch pedal, or other part of a vehicle is actuated thereby relieving the operator or chauffeur of the vehicle of the responsibility of operating the signal.

In attaining the above and other objects,

' l the parts of the signal are constructed with a view to reducing the cost of manufacture and a't the same time retain the features by which safety, durability, simplicity, and ease of assembling are secured, and with such'ends in view, our invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a vehicle, provided with the Signal, illustrating one manner of automatically controlling tb eoperation of the signal; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the signal as displaying the word stop F ig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a portion of a signal;

\ Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the signal, and Fig. 5 kis a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the signal. l A

The signal comprises an oblong rectangular casing having a bottom plate 1, a rear wall f2, a front wall 3, end walls 4 and 5, a top plate 6 and a transverse partition 7, said partit-ion dividing the casing Into'a large compartment 8 adapted to contain electrically actuated signal mechanism, and a small compartment 9 that accommodates a tail light or lamp; the front wall 3 of said Specication of Letters Patent.A

CHARLES a'. LooKE, or nE'rnoIr, MICHIGAN.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Applicationled January 30, 1915. Serial No. 5,179. i

compartment having a. conventional red bulls eye'lO.

The front wall 3 of the compartment 8 is provided with an oblong sight or display opening 11 and connected to the bottom p late l, contiguous'to said opening, isa vertical apertured plate 12, said plate having the apertures or openings thereof representing characters, for instance the characters of the word stop Movable in front of the apertured plate 12 is a vertically disposed shutter 1i preferably made of sheetmetal. This shutter is slidable between the front wall 8 of the casing and vertical angle bars 15 secured to the partition 7 and the end wall i of the casing. The ends of the shutter 1i are out and stamped out to provide rearwardly extending and vertically disposed racks 16 engaged by segment gears 17 on the ends of arms 18 mounted upon a longitudinal shaft 19, journaled in the end wall i and the partition i" of the casing. Thel shaft 19 serves functionally as a rock shaft and the rear ends of the arms 18 are connected by a longitudinal rod 2O in parallelism with the shaft 19. Loosely connected to the rod '20 by af link 21 is a twisted extension 22 of an armature 23, said armature being associated with a conventional form of electromagnet 2i mounted upon a plate Q5 secured to the rear wall 2 of the casing within the compartment 8. The electromagnet 24 is in circuit with a suitable source of electrical energy, as battery cells v26 and the circuit is controlled by a stationary contact 27 and a movable contact 28. The movable contact Q8 can be supported by a clutch pedal 29 or other movable controlling device of a vehicle, such as an automobile. The signal can be attached to the frame or other support at the re'ar end of the vehicle and upon the operator throwing out the clutch or applying' the brakes. 'an electrical circuit is established that energizes the electromagnet 24, attracts the armature Q3 and through the medium of the elements Q0 to 22 inclusive the shaft 19 is rocked to elevate the shutter l-L and displaying the characters of the apertured plate 12. In order that the signal can be used at night. an incandescent lamp 3() is arranged within the compartment 8 to cast rays of light through the apertures or openings of the plate 12, and the bottom plate 1 of the casing has provision for sup- Ihe license card 31 is suspended from a rod 32 carried by depending brackets 33 secured to the bottom plate 1. A reflector 34 containing an incandescent lamp 35 is arranged to cast rays f light upon the license card.

While in the drawings, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to suoli variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the ap ended claim.

Vhat we claim is In an automobile traiiic signal, a casing adapted for attachment to a vehicle, said casing having the wall thereof provided with an opening, an apertured plate in said casing adjacent and adapted for to the opening` thereof, a

shutter movable in front of said apertured plate and having the ends thereof bent and formed to provide racks, a rock shaft lon ritudinally of said casing, segment gears carried by said rock shaft and engaging the racks of said shutter to move said shutter, an incandescent lamp in said casing, a rod connecting said sector gears, a link connected to said rod, and electrically actuated means within said casing connected to said link rocking said shaft. In testimony whereof We aix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPHF. MILLER. CHARLES J. LOCKE. Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDERS, ANNA M. DoRR. 

